HMS Fearless (CA-286)
HMS Fearless (CA-286) was a ''Star Knight''-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Manticoran Navy. History The ship was named for the ''Courageous''-class light cruiser [[HMS Fearless (CL-56)|HMS Fearless (CL-56)]], carrying its predecessor's battle honors. In 1901 PD, Fearless was under construction at [[HMSS Hephaestus|HMSS Hephaestus]]. Captain Honor Harrington took command of the vessel at that time. ( , , ) Between 1901 PD and 1903 PD, Fearless was sent on anti-piracy patrol in the Silesian Confederacy. During this time, she took down a pirate squadron and rescued a passenger liner. ( ) In 1903 PD, Fearless arrived at [[HMSS Vulcan|HMSS Vulcan]] for a refit, needing a new Beta Fourteen node and some work on graser mount Number Five.The Beta Fourteen node had been a headache since the ship's acceptance trials. The Fearless was sent to escort a convoy to the Casca System. Admiral of the Green Raoul Courvosier and his diplomatic team were given a ride to the Yeltsin's Star System for a diplomatic meeting. Once at Yeltsin's Star, Fearless and [[HMS Madrigal|HMS Madrigal]] stopped at the system to help protect it against piracy. Fearless accompanied [[HMS Apollo|HMS Apollo]] and [[HMS Troubadour (Chanson-class)|HMS Troubadour]] to the Casca System, instead of staying at Grayson to show the flag. After hearing of Ensign Carolyn Wolcott's harassment at the hands of the Grayson citizens, Captain Harrington ordered a full investigation of the ship's crew to see if there was any other incidents. The Fearless, Apollo and Troubadour were returning to the Yeltsin's Star System when they were intercepted by a trio of unknown light attack craft. These LACs fired their missiles at the RMN vessels, so Fearless performed a Zulu-Two maneuvre to evade the incoming fire. Troubadour was damaged, while Fearless and Apollo finished off the rest of the incoming missiles. Fearless then destroyed the three LACs and lent aid to the damaged Troubadour afterwards. The ships then went on to Grayson. Battle of Blackbird During the beginning of the Battle of Blackbird, Fearless flew in a wedge formation with Apollo and Troubadour occupying the middle, while the GSN vessels were at the edges of the formation. Fearless took on the long-range incoming missiles. A computer malfunction in Point Defense Three let one of the incoming missiles get through the defenses, causing direct hits on Laser Two and Magazine Four, with heavy casualties in Laser Two. Laser Nine was also destroyed. Fearless then returned fire, destroying [[MNS Solomon|MNS Solomon]], and crippling [[PNS Breslau|MNS Principality]] with the help of Apollo. Captain Harrington then hailed the Principality, demanding the ship's surrender. Fearless had low casualties and only lost long-range gravitics. Fearless took the captured Masadan officers on board, then went on to launch missiles and attack Blackbird Base to cover the Marines' assault. The most seriously wounded officers and crew members on Fearless were transferred to Apollo so that they could be taken back to Manticore. Repair teams were able to get Laser Four back into operation, but they had trouble with the fire control systems. ( ) Second Yeltsin Some time later, [[PNS Saladin|MNS Thunder of God]] under the command of Sword of the Faithful Matthew Simonds set a course for Grayson in order to launch a mass bombardment of the planet. ( ) First Engagement Fearless and Troubadour engaged the Masadan battlecruiser in what would later become known as the Second Battle of Yeltsin's Star. During the engagement, Fearless performed a Yankee-Three to evade incoming fire, initiating Plan Delta in hopes of taking down a majority of Thunder of God's missiles. Ensign Carolyn Wolcott was able to stop every incoming missile aimed at Fearless, while Troubadour acted as a decoy. While Thunder of God focused on Troubadour, ultimately destroying it, Fearless inflicted severe damage on the enemy vessel. ( ) Second Engagement Going on the offensive after the destruction of Troubadour, Fearless led with a Hotel-Eight maneuver, taking heavy damage in its aft impeller ring, Frame 312, and the communications department, leaving no survivors in Communications. Lt Commander Cardones fired nine missiles at Thunder of God, using the vessel's ECM drones as beacons. One of the missiles was equipped with a nuclear warhead, which was able to get through and forced the Thunder of God to retreat. Too damaged to finish off Thunder of God, Fearless watched the enemy vessel leave. ( ) Third Engagement In the aftermath of the second engagement, Fearless's entire after impeller ring was down, only one graser and eight missile tubes were operational on the ship's starboard side, and the missile complement was down to one hundred. Main radar was half gone, the secondary radar arrays and two-thirds of the passive sensors were completely gone, and one-fourth of the crew had been either killed or wounded as a result of the previous exchanges. Fearless and Thunder of God battled each other in the last round, with Fearless losing Missile Six and Graser Eight in addition to having compartment forty-two (an emergency sickbay ward) opened to space as a result of damage. When Thunder of God exposed her bow, Fearless destroyed her with energy fire. After the battle, Fearless returned to Manticore with its surviving personnel for repairs. ( , ) Known Crewmembers Naval Officers * Captain (SG) Honor Harrington - Commanding Officer Senior officers: * Lieutenant Commander Andreas Venizelos - Executive Officer * Lieutenant Commander Stephen DuMorne - Astrogation Officer (Second Officer) * Lieutenant Commander James Higgins - Chief Engineering Officer * Lieutenant Commander Stockton Wallace - Tactical Officer during [[IANS Alant|IANS Alant]] affair (HHA4) * Lieutenant (SG) Rafael Cardones - Tactical Officer * Lieutenant Joyce Metzinger - Communications Officer * Surgeon Lt. Commander Fritz Montoya - Chief Medical Officer * Commander Mark Brentworth - GSN laison officer to the RMN Junior officers: * Lieutenant Allgood - senior Assistant Engineer * Lieutenant Harris - Assistant Tactical Officer * Ensign Carolyn Wolcott - Second Assistant Tactical Officer * Lieutenant Wisner - rotated off the vessel at HMSS Vulcan Marine Officers * Major Tomas Ramirez - CO of Marine Detachment * Captain Susan Hibson - CO of a Marine Company * Lieutenant Hughes Naval Enlisted * Chief Petty Officer Killian - Helmsman * Chief Steward's Mate James MacGuiness - Personal Attendant to Captain Harrington * Chief Petty Officer Horace Harkness * Chief Petty Officer Waters Marine Enlisted * Sergeant Major Iris Babcock - Gunny * Sergeant Henry * Sergeant Talon - Able Company * Corporal Liggit - Able Company * Private Montgomery References Fearless, HMS Fearless, HMS Fearless, HMS Fearless, HMS